Page 10 of Autumn at the Cornish Garden Café

‘Hello there.’ Pearl Draper smiled at her from behind the counter, her short hair held back from her forehead with a gold scarf decorated with hedgehogs, her dark red crocheted jumper over a damask vest top. Her hazel eyes twinkled, and Rosa thought not for the first time that Pearl looked decades younger than her seventy-odd years. ‘What do you fancy today, Rosa?’

‘I’m not sure. It all looks so good.’

‘An autumnal feast, right?’ Pearl gestured at the kitchen. ‘Ellie has created some crackers this month.’

‘She definitely has.’ Rosa nodded. ‘I think I’ll have to try the cheesy leek and potato pie.’

‘Would you like that with salad or beans?’

‘Baked beans?’

‘Yes. They’re organic and we make them here.’

‘Oh go on then. That’s the ultimate comfort food.’

‘It is indeed. And how about to drink?’

‘What would you recommend?’

Pearl frowned. ‘To go with your lunch, I’d suggest the ginger tea. Will you want a dessert?’

Rosa laughed. ‘I’m tempted but I feel like I’m being greedy. Perhaps I’ll have my lunch then take dessert to go because I want to take something back for Vinnie too.’

‘Sounds like an excellent plan to me.’ Pearl nodded.

Rosa paid and located a vacant window table. She pulled out the chair and hung her jacket over the back, then sat down and got out her phone. She habitually scrolled through it, then flipped it over on the table and gazed out the window.

The colours of the garden were enchanting, and she watched as a squirrel hopped across the grass, picked up something, then turned it over in its small paws. Liking its find, it tucked it inside its mouth and jumped to the nearest tree, then darted up into the branches. Birds fluttered around, settling on the bird tables and feeders, tucking into the seeds and nuts that Pearl had put out for them. Fallen leaves carpeted the grass, and someone had swept piles against the hedges for recycling as garden waste.

‘Here you go.’ Pearl appeared with her drink, then returned with her food.

‘Oh my goodness, that looks amazing!’ Rosa licked her lips.

‘Enjoy!’

Pearl walked away, and Rosa gazed at the plate of steaming food. The beans, mixed in size, were coated in a rich homemade tomato sauce, and a golden cheese topping covered the leeks and potatoes. She was going to want a nap after she’d eaten it all.

Half an hour later, her belly full, she went to the counter and ordered a few things to take away, then she put her jacket back on and left the café. The air seemed cooler than earlier, but she knew it was probably because she’d been inside the café’s cosy interior. She’d paid for a box of blackberries, so she filled one up and tucked it into the paper bag of goodies she’d bought, then strolled along the path and out of the garden gate.

On her walk down to the village, she stopped and gazed out at the sea, shimmering gold in the afternoon light. She could hear a wood pigeon calling and somewhere out at sea an engine hummed. Being here in this perfect location was creating a sense of peace in her soul that she couldn’t recall ever feeling before. She suspected people often talked about peace but seldom felt it, and she wanted to hold onto it while she could. She breathed in the briny air and held it in her lungs, then slowly released it, thanking the universe for bringing her to Cornwall, even if the route had been painful. At this point in time, she was where she belonged, and this brought her comfort. Yes, she had been through pain, but she was here now and the way ahead would hopefully be better than the way here had been.

She started walking again, her thoughts straying to her aunt who would have loved to come back to Porthpenny. They’d enjoyed holidays here when Rosa was younger and her aunt had loved the village and the surrounding countryside. They’d stayed at a local caravan park and at a rental cottage, and each holiday had been magical in the way that childhood holidays often are. She had memories of the sun on her skin, sand between her toes and the taste of salt on her lips. Of pony trekking and swimming, of clotted cream teas and lazy hazy days that made her heart ache for times gone by. They were times she would never possess again, but that would always remain in her heart, just like her aunt would.

Thoughts of her aunt, who had remained single for most of Rosa’s life, made her think of Christopher and she found herself walking towards his home. The thought that he spent a lot of time alone had been on her mind, and she couldn’t bear to think that he was lonely. He hadn’t said as much, but he had lost his wife, his best friend and partner, and he must feel lonely sometimes. She would go to see if she could do anything for him and update him on the books of his she’d sold so far. She had the information in a folder she could access from her phone and she hoped Christopher would be pleased with the amount of money he’d made.

Outside his house, she sent Vinnie a message to say she wouldn’t be long, then she knocked on Christopher’s front door. The confusion when he opened the door that was supplanted by a wide smile made her chest ache and she was instantly glad she’d come.

‘Hello, Rosa. To what do I owe the pleasure?’ he asked as Bobby rushed out and circled her legs.

‘I’ve been to the café for lunch and I thought I’d stop by on my way back to the shop.’

‘How nice!’ He smiled.

‘Oh … Also, I brought you a few things. They sounded too good not to try.’

His eyes went to the paper bag, and his smile widened. ‘Well, in that case, I’d better get the kettle on.’

As Rosa followed him through to the kitchen, she sent out a silent apology to Vinnie. She knew he had a lasagne in the fridge for lunch that his mother had made for him, so he wouldn’t starve, and she’d go back and get him some more café goodies later on. For now, though, Christopher needed them more than Vinnie.

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